Community Events
Eighth annual Wits for Wellness 5K Run/Walk scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 18
Photo courtesy of LFCC
If you’re planning on joining this year’s Wits for Wellness 5K Run/Walk, now is a good time to start training and to register.
The 5K will start at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 18 at LFCC’s Middletown Campus. Register by Sept. 1 and pay the early-registration fee of $20. After that, the registration fee is $25. Members of the Shenandoah Valley Runners receive a $1 discount.
Awards will be given to the top three male and top three female runners in each age group.
“We are excited to be partnering with Anthem and United Bank for the 8th annual Wits for Wellness 5k,” said Heath, Physical Education and Recreation Professor Stacey Ellis. “With their support, we will be able to further contribute to student scholarships. Race day will continue to be a family friendly walking or running event, and we are excited for the community to join us on the Middletown campus on Sept. 18.”
To learn more or register, visit lfcc.edu/5k.
Community Events
Sons of the American Revolution share US Constitution history with local seniors
During Constitution Week, the Colonel James Wood II Chapter conducted presentations on the United States Constitution at three senior living facilities. At each of these facilities, flags were posted and the Pledge of Allegiance recited with the residents. After a prayer, a presentation was made telling of the history of the Constitution.
In 1787, the government was a product of the Articles of Confederation, which proved to be weak and ineffective. A Constitutional Convention was convened in May 1787 with George Washington selected as President. 55 delegates were selected by 12 colonies to participate.
Rhode Island did not want a strong federal government and did not send delegates. On 14 May, opening day, only delegates from Pennsylvania and Virginia were present. It was not until 25 May that a quorum of nine states was in attendance and the process to revise the Articles of Confederation began.
On 30 May, a proposal was adopted to create a federal government consisting of three branches, Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary. The process of writing the document then began with a committee chaired by Gouverneur Morris of New York. The majority of the writing was done by Virginia delegate James Madison, who became known as the “Father of the Constitution”. After four months of discussion and compromise, the document was signed by 38 delegates on 17 September 1787.
Nine states needed to ratify the Constitution for it to become law. Delaware was the first, with New Hampshire the ninth. On 21 June 1788, it became the law of the land. It wasn’t until 29 May 1790 when Rhode Island vote for ratification that all 13 colonies had accepted it.
In 1791, the first 10 Amendments were added as the Bill of Rights to protect the rights of States and freedoms of individuals.
On 13 September, the Sons of the American Revolution were at Commonwealth Senior Living in Front Royal. Dale Corey emceed with Larry Johnson, Thomas “Chip” Daniel, Doug Schwetke, and Bill Schwetke assisting in the presentation.
Dale Corey, Dough Schwetke, Bill Schwetke, and Larry Johnson.
A brief history was given by the compatriots with a reading of the Preamble, an outline of the articles in the document, and the Bill of Rights.
On 14 September, the presentation was given to Hidden Springs Senior Living Facility in Bentonville by compatriots Corey, Daniel, D. Schwetke, and B. Schwetke.
Doug Schwetke, Dale Corey, and Bill Schwetke.
On 15 September it was presented to Greenfield Senior Living Facility in Woodstock by compatriots Corey, Daniel, and Dennis Parmerter.
Dennis Parmerter, Dale Corey and Thomas “Chip” Daniel. (Photos courtesy of Thomas “Chip” Daniel).
Community Events
Sons of the American Revolution participate in dedication ceremony honoring William Wirt Henry
The plaque honoring William Wirt Henry. Photos courtesy of Cat Schwetke.
On September 10, 2021, the Colonel James Wood II (CJWII) Chapter of the Virginia Society Sons of the American Revolution participated in a dedication ceremony at Red Hill, Virginia. A plaque was presented by the Virginia Society to honor William Wirt Henry. The plaque was laid on the grounds of Red Hill, the final home of Patrick Henry.
Participating were members from Colonel William Grayson (CWG), Culpeper Minutemen (CMM), Dan River (DR), Fairfax Resolves (FR), George Mason (GM), George Washington (GW), James Monroe (JM), Patrick Henry (PH), Richard Henry Lee (RHL), Thomas Jefferson (TJ) and Thomas Nelson, Jr (TNJ) Chapters.
William was born 1831 at Red Hill, the grandson of Patrick Henry. He was a lawyer, politician, historian and writer. He authored a biography of Patrick Henry and served in both houses of the Virginia General Assembly, was the President of the Virginia Bar Association, the American Historical Association and the Founding President of the Virginia Society Sons of the American Revolution. William eventually became the owner of the plantation and his office was located at the site where the plaque was installed.
Virginia State Color Guard led by Commander Ken Bonner.
President Jeff Thomas emceed the program which was opened with the Virginia State Color Guard led by Commander Ken Bonner presenting the colors. President Thomas gave a presentation on the life of William Wirt Henry. Next, Marshall Henry (a descendant of Patrick Henry) and compatriot Dale Corey unveiled the plaque.
The Colonel James Wood II Chapter was represented by Dale Corey, Thomas “Chip” Daniel, Brett Osborn and Barry Schwoerer. Dual members present included Ken Bonner (Fairfax Resolves), Dave Cook (Fairfax Resolves), Mike Dennis (CMM), Charles Jameson (CMM), Bill Schwetke (CMM), Doug Schwetke (CMM) and Mike Weyler (CWG). Other compatriots with the color guard were Forrest Crain (FR), Mike Geisinger (DR), Gary Hall (DR), Ken Morris (GM) and Jim Russell (JM).
Colonel James Wood II Chapter members from left to right: Dale Corey, Charles Jameson, Doug Schwetke, Jeff Thomas, Thomas “Chip” Daniel, Mike Dennis, Barry Schwoerer, Brett Osborn, Bill Schwetke and Mike Weyler.
Community Events
Constitution Day 2021 event at the Wayside Inn in Middletown, VA on Friday, September 17th
Join Winsome Sears to celebrate the 234th anniversary of our United States Constitution and honor our men and women in the U.S. Military.
LtCol Daniel Gade will pay tribute to the Fallen, music performed by the Steel Peach Band, and a Constitutional Presentation by Bishop Larry Johnson, Liberty Man.
Join the celebration with Winsome Sears and patriots from Frederick, Clarke, Loudoun, Page, Warren, Shenandoah Counties, and Winchester City.
It’s a free event, but please register here.
Community Events
Oktoberfest in Rappahannock is Back
Wakefield Country Day School is set to host the 2nd Annual Oktoberfest, located on a 12-acre campus in Huntly, on October 2nd from 4-8 pm. All are welcome to attend this family-friendly event, featuring festive live German and Austrian music by the Edelweiss Band. Their style ranges from traditional Biergarten tunes to occasional folk, and Latin vibes.
Food will be available for purchase from a German-inspired bar, dessert, and dinner menu. Featured beer will be a traditional Oktoberfest from Far Gohn Brewing Company of Culpeper, and an Optimal Wit from Port City Brewing Company in Alexandria.
Children of all ages are invited to play in the kinder zone area, available with multiple bounce houses, art and crafts booths, face painting, hair braiding, balloon art, potato sack races, pumpkin rolling contests, musical chairs, and more. The entire event takes place outdoors, and for safety, activities are distanced throughout. A Bavarian costume contest will take place, with the winners being crowned Mr. and Mrs. Oktoberfest 2021.
Presale tickets are $5 (extended until Monday 9/27 for Royal Examiner readers) and $8 at the door— unless you arrive in full (yes, top to bottom) Bavarian attire, in which case, entry is free! Tickets are available at wcdsva.org/Oktoberfest.
All WCDS events are run by a team of dedicated volunteers dedicated to supporting the student body. Wakefield Country Day School (WCDS) is a non-profit, preschool-12th-grade independent school located in serene Huntly, Virginia. Located at 1059 Zachary Taylor Highway in between Front Royal and Flint Hill. Just look for the blue and white flags! The Tapping of the Keg Ceremony begins at 4 pm sharp.
Community Events
Virginia Department of Veterans Services and Virginia’s Community Colleges hosting 2021 Military and Veterans Education Summit
The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (VDVS) in partnership with Virginia’s Community Colleges will host the Virginia Military and Veterans Education Summit (VMES) on September 22 and 23, 2021.
The two-day Summit, which will be held as a virtual event this year, will bring together administrators, advisors and faculty members from Virginia’s community and four-year colleges and universities, school officials, government and business leaders and representatives from student veteran organizations. There is no cost to register online and participate in the Summit.
The Summit agenda will include a variety of presentations and panel discussions focusing on student veterans, career planning, educational benefits, opportunities, and community resources with a major focus on promoting advanced manufacturing and technical career pathways in the Commonwealth.
“Military-connected students comprise a growing segment of higher education at Virginia’s community colleges and four-year educational institutions,” said Martina Murray, Director of Education Programs at the Virginia Department of Veterans Services. “There is a great deal of diversity among these students in demographics and their service backgrounds. This is why it’s so important to develop comprehensive and targeted support services for these unique students.”
“Here in Virginia, we recognize the valuable contributions that our student veterans make to the economic vitality of our state. Our goal is to assure that, together with our partner educational institutions, we can direct them to successful positions in the civilian workforce and especially to jobs in the growing advanced manufacturing and technology sectors,” said Patrice Jones, VDVS Education Workforce Manager.
For more information on the Virtual Virginia Military and Veterans Education Summit, including how to register and participate, please visit vmes.windrosemedia.com or contact Ms. Bobbie Blakely, VMES Chair, at 804.310.0609 or bobbie.blakely@dvs.virginia.gov.
About the Virginia Department of Veterans Services
The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (VDVS) is a state government agency with more than 40 locations across the Commonwealth of Virginia. VDVS traces its history to 1928 and the establishment of the Virginia War Service Bureau to assist Virginia’s World War I veterans. Today, VDVS assists veterans and their families in filing claims for federal veterans benefits and provides veterans and family members with linkages to services including behavioral healthcare, housing, employment, education and other programs. The agency operates two state veterans nursing homes, provides an honored final resting place for veterans and their families at three state veterans cemeteries, and operates the Virginia War Memorial. For more information, please visit www.dvs.virginia.gov.
About Virginia Community Colleges
Since 1966, Virginia’s Community Colleges have given everyone the opportunity to learn and develop the right skills so lives and communities are strengthened. By making higher education and workforce training available in every part of Virginia, we elevate all of Virginia. Together,
Virginia’s Community Colleges serve more than 271,000 students each year. For more information, please visit www.vccs.edu.
Community Events
Birthday of the Constitution to be Celebrated
The celebration of the 234th Birthday of the Constitution is set for Saturday, September 18, 2021, beginning at 10 am at Mt. Hebron Cemetery in Winchester, Virginia. Presiding will be Pastor Alan Morrison, a well-known minister in the northern Shenandoah Valley.
The event is a joint celebration involving local churches and various local organizations. The Shenandoah Christian Alliance, Sons of the American Revolution, and a number of churches and other organizations are participating. The Black Robed Regiment will lay a wreath remembering the clergy who preached liberty during the Revolutionary War period. American Heritage Girls and Trail Life Boys from Shenandoah, West Virginia, and Warren County, Virginia will participate in this historic gathering.
There will be the presentation of the colors by the James Wood II Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, headed by Dale Corey, Commander of the SAR Color Guard. Youth will bring in the historic flags flown during the War for Independence. Additionally, the youth will recite portions of our founding documents, with lectures to follow by local experts on the founding of the United States of America.
The Rev. Larry W. Johnson of Warren County, also known as Liberty Man, and Dale Carpenter, will give the youth participants “Citizenship Certificates” recognizing their participation. Johnson gives lectures and presents programs on the history of the American Revolution. Carpenter, who heads the Shenandoah Alliance, is a retired business executive.
The Constitution will be two-hundred and thirty-four years old on September 17th. Virginia patriots helped to write this most important document, with James Madison of Orange County given credit as the primary author. General George Washington presided at the Continental Congress, where the document was approved. Washington as a young man lived in Frederick County and was a surveyor. He was elected to the House of Burgesses, representing Frederick County. He later was Commander of the American Army in the War of Independence and became the first President of the United States.
This celebration began in 2013 with the placement of monuments in the General Daniel Morgan Cemetery, a part of Mt. Hebron Cemetery, commemorating forty American Revolutionary soldiers buried in Mt. Hebron Cemetery and forty-two War of 1812 soldiers buried there. A hero of the war, General Daniel Morgan of Winchester, is also buried in Mt. Hebron Cemetery. The name of each soldier is inscribed on the monuments.
For more information, call the Rt. Rev. Larry W. Johnson at 540.454.4129, or email larrywjohnson@embarqmail.com.
Father of our Country- George Washington, Our First President
Birthday of the Constitution
10:00 A.M. Final Edition
September 18, 2021
Mt. Hebron’s Daniel Morgan Cemetery, Winchester, Virginia
Presiding Pastor Alan L. Morrison**
Prologue-Pastor Alan Morrison**- Christ Reigns Presbyterian Church, Cedar Creek, VA.
• Dedication of Program-Rev. Jim Simmons**, Baptist Pastor, Hebron Baptist Church, Gore, VA
• Welcome, Dale Carpenter**, Shenandoah Christian Alliance. Portraying Gen. G. Washington.
• Great Procession and Posting of Colors*- SAR Color Guard,
• Greetings and Remembrance, Commander Dale Corey**, Color Guard Col. James Wood II Chapter, SAR.
Historic Flags Presented:
American Heritage Girls WV0356 Trisha Richardson, Advisor, and Heritage Girls of Warren County, Abbi Griffeth, Advisor, and Trail Life Boys, Lee Richardson, Advisor
• Presentation of Founding Documents to Gen. Washington by Youth.
• The Pledge of Allegiance – Trail Life Member Leads Audience.
• Prayer for Revolutionary War Soldiers- The Rt. Rev. Larry W. Johnson**
• The Declaration of Independence Opening Sentences- Heritage Girl Member.
• The Constitution Preamble. Trail Life Member.
• Flags Presented to Gen. Washington. Youth may be seated.
• “The Relationship Between the Declaration and the Constitution,”- Mark Quimby, Army Retired.
• “The Bill of Rights” an Exegesis-Kelly O’Neal and John Austin, Shenandoah Christian Alliance.
• Prayers for our Military, Police, and Law Officers- Pastor Roger Orman, Chester Gap Baptist Church.
• Prayers for EMTs, Nurses, Doctors, and Hearth Care Workers. Billy Williams. Chester Gap Baptist Church.
• Prayers for all Pastors and Congregations, Tom Reed** Elder, First Christian Church, Winchester.
• A Special Prayer for our Nation-Charles Market.
• Alan Morrison Recognizes a Woman who questions Dr. Benjamin Franklin (Portrayed by Rev. Jim Simmons and Woman by Susan Howard)
• Pray of George Washington by The Rt. Rev. Larry W. Johnson.
• Placement of Wreathe by Black Robed Regiment Descendants of Patriot Clergy who Preached Liberty.
• Awards. Presentation of Leadership Certificates.
• Benediction, **, Rev. Jim Simmons, Col. James Wood II Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution.
Participating Organizations:
Shenandoah Christian Alliance, Northern Shenandoah Valley, VA
Col. James Wood II, Chapter Virginia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, Color Guard.
Christ Reigns Presbyterian Church, Cedar Creek, VA
The Anglican Church of Virginia, Front Royal, VA
Trail Life and American Heritage Girls of Shenandoah County Troop WV0356. Grace Bible Church. Shenandoah Junction, WV.
American Heritage Girls of Warren County
Black Robed Regiment, VA
Hebron Baptist Church, Gore, VA
Chester Gap Baptist Church, Front Royal, VA
First Christian Church, Winchester, VA
**Descendant of an American Revolutionary Soldier.
